Around the Institute

The Digital Festival

June 5, 2019  • Institute Staff

Celebrating its 15th year, the Aspen Ideas Festival has become one of the nation’s most noted forums for civil discourse. It’s only appropriate that its online presence be a modern, digital hub and a vital addition to the expansive and inspiring discussions that take place in Aspen. This May, the festival launched the next iteration of aspenideas.org, where the substance of the 10-day event lives and where visitors can delve into a rich video archive of talks, browse collections by topic, listen to podcasts, and share salient ideas on social media. “Redesigning the website gave us the opportunity to rethink how we communicate what we learn here to larger audiences,” says Kitty Boone, the Institute’s vice president of public programs and the executive director of the festival. “We want to inspire curiosity about the most novel and exciting ideas that experts and leaders are working on today.” With 350 presenters annually—scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians, journalists, artists, and business leaders among them—the festival hosts revered leaders as well as highly respected but lesser known experts on topics like genetics, animal cognition, creativity, and religion. “Whether you want to learn more about CRISPR, hear smart and civilized discussions about free speech, or be dazzled by Jon Batiste and Wynton Marsalis riffing their way through the American song book, there’s something for everyone,” Boone says. “We hope it’s a delight for the curious and a resource for anyone who considers themselves a lifelong learner.”

aspenideas.org